Twisted Souls
by tomboyazngrl
Summary: Angel is captured when he goes to rescue Kelly, one of the new gang members. The rest of the team; Fred, Gunn, Connor, Lorne and Wesley must try to save their leader and Kelly before the army of demons remove Angel's soul and take over the world.
1. Default Chapter

**Cold hands grasped the handle of the sword, gripping the leather-bound base tightly. Eyes fixed on the empty space before him, waiting for it to come forward. A sudden movement flashed before the vampire's eyes, and instinct took over him, a split second after a swoosh cut through the air, a thump was heard. A stray light cut through the thickness of the darkness, and the 242-year old vampire saw the headless body, a pool of blood gathered around the dismembered demon. A few feet away laid the head. Spikes protruded from the skull, a thin blanket of white covered it's eyes, the skin was rough and seemed to be the quality of dry dirt. **

**"Hmm," Angel said, touching the tip of the sword tentively with one finger. "Nice sword."**

**"Figures," a voice replied. Angel whirled around to see one of the Tang twins leaning against the wall.**

**"Kelly," Angel said, surprised to see her. **

**"What gave it away?" She asked, approaching the tall, handsome vampire. **

**"Your scent," Angel smiled. "It's a thing I can do." **

**"You can do a lot of things," Kelly remarked. "Yet I'm only human."**

**The two 16-year old twin sisters watched as Lorne, the friendly horned demon, and Fred answer the endlessly ringing phones all day. Angel was brooding in his office, as always. Then they had the pleasure of watching Connor fall all over Sara, who was interested in him as much as she was interested in a rat's ass. Kelly was practicing her fighting stances, punches, kicks, blocks and maneuvers. **

**No later than nine O' clock everyone retreated to their living quarters. **

**"Hey, Sara," Kelly called from the washroom where she was brushing her shoulder length brown hair. "What's with Connor? I think he likes you, the way he totally hangs all over you."**

**"Nothing ain't gonna happen," Sara replied from the bed.**

**"So you broke it off?"**

**"No, I told Angel to."**

**"What!" They both cracked up, trying to imagine Angel explain the situation to his son, who was easily confused.**

**"He's not gonna do it," Kelly remarked.**

**"Will too."**

**"Wanna bet?"**

"**Five bucks."**

"**You're on." Giggling, the two girls went to bed, unaware of what was going on outside the hotel... **

"**Master," a demon with a small, short body said. "We must plan carefully. One wrong move and—" The demon was cut off by a THWACK across the face. **

**"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" A large, hostile demon bellowed. Spikes protruded from his skull, his face the color of dry dirt. It held resemblance to the demon Angel killed. "I've been planning this for months, you ignorant ASS!"**

**"Yes, Master," the smaller demon cowered before his master. "When shall it start?"**

**"Soon," his master replied. "Very, very, soon." He chuckled deeply, and turned to see thousands of horned demons—smaller versions of the Beast—lined up in straight rows. **

"**We will rule this world," the Master announced to the army of demons. "But first, we must call Angelus to our side." Here the demon turned to the opening in the ceiling. "He is trapped in Angel's body, doing good." **

"**Doing good?" Repeated one of the demons in the front row.**

"**Impossible!" Cried another. **

"**I played pool with him," grumbled one to himself. ""He was the one who shoved an eight-ball up my ass." Murmurs rippled throughout the crowd, like a wave in the ocean.**

"**Don't worry. We'll get him back," the Master assured. "By extracting his soul."**

**Morning came, and the Hyperion Hotel was awake. And not buzzing with noise, might I add. Angel came from his basement, looking tired and unrested.**

**"Morning," Gunn greeted, yawning while he descended the stairs. **

**"Look at the enthusiasm in here," commented a bright and cheery Sara. Kelly accompanied her, also groggy. She couldn't shake the feeling of sleep from her mind.**

**"Are you the only one around here who got a decent night's rest?" Kelly complained, rubbing her eye. **

**"Rise and shine, sleepyheads!" Lorne sang out happily as he entered through the front door. **

**"Obviously not," grumbled Fred as she leaned over her cup of coffee on the counter.**

**"I might as well go back upstairs and practise my martial arts." Kelly started up the stairs. Sara nodded and began to follow. **

**"Need any help?" Connor appeared in the lobby, looking at the girls hopefully.**

**"Er...no thanks," Kelly replied, running up the rest of the stairs. Sara followed in agreement.**

**"Think Angel told him yet?" Sara asked when they reached their room.**

**"Eager to lose?" Kelly remarked.**

**"You wish." Both girls dropped to a karate stance, sizing each other up. Eyes met, faces set straight. Sara made the first move, a quick fake right jab, Kelly held up her arm to block, instead receiving a kick in the stomach. Soon followed a flurry of fists and impressive moves. Grunts and groans were the results in bad timing. Both concentrated so hard they didn't notice Connor standing by the door. He noticed Kelly was the stronger of the two, and grinned as he stepped in between.**

**"Hey!" The twins cried out in unison, stepping back.**

**"Hey," Connor replied, and nodded to Kelly. "I'll take you." Without warning his hand flew out at her face, catching her in the chin. In the moment in which Kelly took to recover from the sudden blow, Connor had already knocked her to the ground. His eyes intensified, his hits became more direct, frequent, and constant. **

**"Connor!" Angel appeared at the door. With vampire strength, speed, and reflexes, he grabbed Connor and held him back. "What the Hell do you think you're doing!" Connor glanced back at his father, struggling from his grip.**

**"She brings evil."**

**"Guys?" Sara asked. She pointed to the open window where Kelly climbed out in a hurry. A worried look crossed over Angel's face as he released Connor. He was about to go after Kelly, but Sara held him back. **

**"She'll be okay."**

**Tears brimmed Kelly's eyes as she limped down the sidewalk, keeping to the shadows. Everything had hurt like never before. Connor's strength was greater than any human, his reflexes faster, his timing better. He had never let Kelly hit him once, giving her no time to recover from the previous assault. At long last she collasped on the sidewalk, defeated and out of energy. **

**The man peered into Kelly's face a short while later. He was of the short, stocky, type. Chubby cheeks and sweatly palms. **

**"Miss? Hello, Miss?" His voiced echoed through Kelly's head, then stopped abruptly. "I'm sorry, Miss, but orders are orders." He picked up the unmoving body, grunting with the effort, and hurried off. **

**When Kelly didn't return to the hotel after dark, Angel grabbed his sword and left to search for her, leaving orders to the rest of the gang.**

**"Lorne, Fred, stay here and tend the phones. Gunn, Wesley, get a move on. Split up; it'll be much faster. Meet back at the lobby in two hours. Call the cell if anything." The three of them ran off in different directions, while Connor watched from the doorway, eyes hateful. **

**"Master, I have brought what you've told me to get."**

**"Already?" The demon grunted, truning to look.**

**"She was unconcious when I found her, Master." **

**"Perfect. Leave her in the cage."**

**"Yes, Master." The man wobbled over to a large steel iron 12 by 8 cage. He placed Kelly on the floor and locked the cage. The Master chuckled, turning into his human form.**

**Angel, Gunn, and Wesley returned to the hotel two hours later, hopes fallen. **

**"Nothing," Wesley reported.**

**"Same here," Gunn agreed, launching himself on the sofa. **

**"We'll have to keep looking," Angel said as he turned to put his sword away.**

**"Looking for her?" Everyone turned to see a tall, brown-haired man in the doorway. He held up a picture of Kelly.**

**"How did you know?" Fred asked, startled. Her eyes were glued to the guy's face. _He's not bad-looking, _Fred thought. _Doesn't look too dangerous. At least not to me._ **

**"Angelus, come with me, eh, buddy? I'll bring you to her," the man continued, ignoring Fred.**

**"Angelus?" Sara narrowed her eyes at the man. "I don't care what you say. Angel and him are different."**

**"He's not human," Angel commented, a dark look formed in his eyes. "Why are you here?"**

**"Well, neither are you, pretty-boy!" The man responded. He extended a hand. "Name's Boris, buddy."**

**"I don't care who you are, and I'm not your buddy." The next second Angel had Boris by the lapels. "Why are you here?"**

**"Calm down, a'ight?" The man cried out. "I ain't here to hurt you. I told you, I'll show you where she is, honest!" Angel let him go with a push that made Boris fall to the ground. **

**"It's a trick, Angel," Wesley warned him. **

**"I know." Angel paused. "But he knows where she's at. I can tell he's telling the truth."**

**"Well, then," Boris smiled. "Let's get to it." He began to walk towards the door, then stopped and turned. "Only you, Angelus. No one else." **

**Angel followed Boris while thoughts rambled into his head. His senses sharpened, prepared for a fight. Angel knew there was some kind of trick to it, yet he had no other choice but to follow.**


	2. What will it be?

"What the hell!" Kelly woke up in her cage, staring at the metal bars.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Watch your language, young lady. Your parents wouldn't like it."

"I can swear a whole lot better than that, old man." The Master laughed, amused by the feisty human. He walked to the cage and peered inside. "Looks uncomfortable in there. Need a pillow?"

"No, but I'd like a stick to whip your ass with. Let me out!" The Master transformed into his demon form, watching for Kelly's reaction as he did. She showed none.

"Oh, I guess you're uglier than I thought."

"You talk something big with that mouth of yours. Watch it, I might suddenly want to starve you." Kelly suddenly reached out and grabbed the Master's shirt through the bars, but he quickly shirked away. "Don't worry, honey, Angel's coming to save you in his shining armor. But little will he know that he'd be losing a lot more than you when he does."

"It sickens me to hear you call me honey."

"Don't be such a smart-aleck. Enjoy your last moments of life." The Master grinned quickly, then disappeared from the room.

"Ugly dirt-bag," Kelly muttered under breath.

"So, Angelus, man, where have you been all these years?" Boris asked cheerfully.

"I'm not Angelus," Angel said under his breath, getting pissed.

"I can see that. Angelus was way more happy than you."

"That's because he didn't have a tortured soul," Angel said through gritted teeth. He wondered if he should just kick his ass or just torture him slowly.

"Ooh-kay...switching topics. Hey!"

"What!"

"Let's have a drink!" Angel growled and slammed Boris against the brick wall, his vampire face taking place. "I got a better idea...take me to Kelly!"

"Okay, okay, you win...sheesh, what a grouch!" They stopped at a sewer. Boris glanced around before lifting the top off and jumping in. Angle followed cautiously. The happy-go-lucky Boris skipped on ahead.

"Schoolgirl," Angel mumbled, following. Boris stopped suddenly, then took out a stone–which was glowing bright blue.

"Step closer, Angelu–Angel." Angel quirked his brow, taking a step towards Boris. "Now, you may feel a tearing sensation..." And soon enough, Angel did, after Boris quickly mumbled a few Latin words. The two were surrounded in bright blue before disappearing completely.

They appeared again, this time clearly on another dimension. Boris put a finger to his lips, signaling the quiet sign. Closing his eyes, he began to chant Latin phrases. Angel tried to keep up. The stone began to glow brighter and brighter as Boris continued. Again, Angel felt a tearing sensation and disappeared in a white flash, He reappeared in the same room as Kelly's cage was in. The Master quickly appeared out of nowhere just as Angel did.

"Hello, Angelus. I see that Boris have brought you here safely."

"What are we, having tea? Where is Kelly!" Angel demanded, then caught sight of the cage. Kelly gave a weak wave. A blue line encircled the cage.

"If I were you, Angelus, I would not step over that line."

"Let her go, and I won't kill you." The Master chuckled.

"Oh no, Angelus. I know you aren't the type of guy who expects someone like me to just hand her to you, are you?"

"OLD HAG!" Kelly yelled from her cage. The Master ignored her.

"No, no, no. You must give something in return, first." When Angel tried to grab the Master and throw him across the room, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. It was a wooden arrow shot from one of the Master's followers, which five of them stepped out of the dark in unison.

"You probably shouldn't do that. The next one will be filled with enough poison to knock you unconscious for quite a while." Angel grabbed the arrow and ripped it out angrily. The Master wrinkled his nose–if you can call it that–and shrank back. "Ew."

"What do you want?" The question was hard and plain. Kelly could tell from this point Angel would do anything to save her.

"Your soul." The Master smiled. "Then we'll release Kelly."

"You release her, then you can have my soul."

"ANGEL!" Kelly yelled at him, angry.

"No," the Master replied simply. Angel stared at the demon, trying to find some weakness, but he knew he was outsmarted. "What will it be?" That question repeated itself over and over in his head. It hung over his conscience like a dark rain cloud. **_What will it be?_**


	3. Playing Chess

"Let me think," Angel said, a hand on his chin. "I think I'll go with...NO." His hand flew out from his chin and hit the Master in the face. Immediately, five poisoned arrows shot at him all at once. This had been what Angel had hoped for. He raised his hand and blocked all 5 arrows at once, careful not to let the tips penetrate his skin. The arrows clattered to the ground, and Angel quickly hammered the Master with a line of steady punches, then one final kick to knock him off balance. This time five more arrows joined the five that were already in the air, streamlining towards Angel. He jumped to the side and dodged most of them, he caught two of them neatly and threw them back. But the arrows failed to puncture the hard skin of the demons.

Kelly watched as Angel took on more and more of the demons, while the Master signaled his army of miniature Beasts. The ground seemed to shake as each one of them teleported to the room they were signaled to. They surrounded Angel, ready to fight. Arrows stopped shooting through the air, and all was silent. Everyone expected Angel to give in.

"What's wrong, you guys tired?" This comment from the vampire shocked nearly everyone.

"Please," the Master spoke up. "Don't be foolish. Give in, Angel. Open your eyes and see that you cannot win. The forces of Darkness call you back to our side. Remember what you are, Angel. Let us restore you to who you really are. This goody-goody shining knight in armor is just a mask. And you know that; we both do." Angel stepped closer to the Master. He peered into the demon's face.

"I think I'd like to keep this mask." Angel touched his cheek, then punched the Master with a right hook. "It beats having this ugly-looking thing." Angel let his fangs slide out and his eyes turn yellow.

In the next moment, Angel had the Master by the neck, determined to snap it, then decapitate it with the hidden blade under his wrist. It was a special blade, designed for decapitating demons. "Call off your slaves," Angel growled in the Master's ear. "I know they will not attack without a sign. Make that sign and there will be no one to lead them anymore, will there?"

_Like playing chess,_ Kelly thought. _Look for a trick and use it. Even if it's a risky one. With a strong mind, any move you make will become unbeatable. Angel took that risk and now he's winning._

"No, there won't," the Master agreed. "But you will be trapped in this dimension with an army of demons. Soon you'll find there isn't any human blood in this place, and the only human would be a little girl trapped in a cage, starving to death. Then you'll think, 'well, why not might as well put her out of her misery and have a nice meal?'

Have you really thought of all of the ways this can end? I've taken every possible way and made it so that the end results are always the same. I win. You lose. And that's how the game is going to go, Angel." A look of hatred came over Angel. Again, he'd been outsmarted. He let the Master go. Now the only hope is for the gang to find them in time.

Kelly gritted her teeth. _Now the tables have turned. It is Angel who is losing. I cannot let that happen. I can't just stand here and let this unravel before me. Angel is sacrificing everything to save me. Now I must sacrifice what I can to save him. Time. The minutes that remain in my life. That is all I can give. I just hope that Angel knows how to receive. _

"What is it with you babies? You can't win by yourself so you call in the big guy. The real deal. You won't win, you know. Angel will always be on top, no matter what. This is a game to you, isn't it? The Good Vs. The Bad. Except it's not a fair game; you've got the advantage. You've got this all planned out. For a long time. Kidnap one of the good guys, and the rest will fall. This is how it always goes. The evil guys get to make the first move. The good guys can only react in what little time they are allowed. You may think you are stronger than us, because you've got the advantage. But no, you're not. We both know it.

Take away the bow and arrow from the Indians and give them guns. After a few generations, you decide to change your mind and take back the guns. Without the advantage, the Indians will lose. We are stronger because we have no advantage. We have learned to outsmart you and beat your advantages. This is why you'll always lose. It doesn't matter whether or not you rule the world. In the end, you know you're weak. Too used to the advantages. Soon the tables will turn, and you will fall. Hard." The Master turned and chuckled at Kelly.

"You're bright," he commented. "Too bad you won't live long enough to make a mark in the world."

"And you," Kelly said angrily, pointing at him. "You snotty, ignorant dry piece of shit! You think you own everything? Think again, faggot. You'll never be anything more than a pile of shit. You won't succeed in whatever plans to take over or destroy the world. Because you'll slip up. One mistake can prove fatal. So, before you make a damned fool out of yourself, you'd best stop now."

_Yes, that's it. Stall him. Keep him occupied,_ she thought.

"What is it thatyou are trying to prove? My plans have been carefully planned out for six months. Nothing will set it off track."

"That's what you think. Because you're such a fucking idiot, anything you try to do will be sabotaged."

"You should be the one to talk," the Master shot back, raising a hand to touch the metal bars of the cage. "If I am such a fool, please explain to me why you are the inside this cage, and I am the one outside of it, the one who has the key."

"You don't have the key," Kelly spit back, taking a blind stab.

The Beast's eyes narrowed. "You know this how?"

"Because anyone with half a brain knows this cage does not open with a key. You said yourself that you have been planning this for six months. What happens when you need to open this cage and there is no key to be found?" Now her mind was spinning. She had taken a huge risk by saying what she said. She hoped for the best.

Now it was clear that the Beast was angry, angry that a kid uncovered his secret.

"You don't know anything, do you?" The Beast laughed at her.

"Do I?" Kelly stared right back into the Beast's eyes, hoping to win this battle of wits.

Suddenly it came to Angel. _I know_, he thought. _I know_.


End file.
